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Inside this Article
Auto Insurance and
Staged Auto Accidents
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There are a lot of
dishonest people out there who for whatever reason
make decisions that compromise the safety and
well-being of innocent people.
A reflection of
this is in the auto insurance scams that happen
every day, under the guise of an everyday small
fender bender.
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Imagine getting into a
small accident that results in a small dent and then
wrangled into an enormous and stressful insurance
claim that could cost you thousands of dollars over
the course of years.
According to the
Coalition Against Insurance Fraud (CAIF), “often
these accidents are staged by organized crime rings
that bilk dozens of unsuspecting drivers.”
Below are list of
common scams classified by the CAIF:
Auto Insurance - Swoop and
Squat
A suspect vehicle
suddenly swoops in front of you and jams on the
brakes, causing a rear-end collision. Often the
suspect car has passengers who pretend to have painful
back or neck injuries, even though the collision was
at low speed. The driver and passengers then make
large collision and injury claims against your auto
policy.
Auto Insurance - Drive Down
You're trying to merge
into traffic, and a dishonest driver slows down and
waves you forward. He then crashes into your car, but
denies waving you into traffic and blames the accident
on you. Crooked drivers may also wave you out of a
parking space with the same come-on.
Auto Insurance - Shady Helpers
A stranger may
approach you at the crash site, or telephone you soon
afterward. Maybe you just had an honest accident, or
it was all a setup. Regardless, this stranger tries to
convince you to get repairs at a specific auto-body
shop, seek treatment from a certain doctor or
chiropractor, or visit a lawyer he knows who can help
you sue for injuries. Be careful — it may be a
setup: That body shop may try to illegally pad your
repair bill. The doctor or chiropractor may give you
shoddy or no treatment, but bill the auto insurer
thousands of dollars. The lawyer may encourage you to
sue the auto insurer for thousands of dollars even if
you have only minor or no injuries.
Not only can your life
become incredibly stressful, but your driving record
could become blemished with a costly claim, and your
premiums may skyrocket accordingly. Perpetrators can
also put your life in risk with their schemes. In
fact, the CAIF sites that an entire family, including
an infant daughter, died when their car was hit by a
truck when a staged accident went wrong.
10 Tips to
Protect Yourself Against Staged Auto Accident Fraud:
1. Just don’t
tailgate. Allow plenty of space between your car and
the car ahead of you. This will give you ample time
to stop if the lead car suddenly jams on its brakes.
2. Look beyond the
car in front of you while driving. Apply your brakes
if you see traffic slowing.
3. Count how many
passengers were in the other car if you're in a
collision. Get their names, phone numbers and
driver's license — more people may file claims
than were in the car. Also get the car's license
number.
4. Keep a pen and
paper in your glove compartment so you're always
ready.
5. Keep an eye on
how the passengers of the other car behave? Did they
stand around and joke, but suddenly act injured when
the police arrived?
6. If you can, keep
a disposable camera in your glovebox. Take pictures
of the other car, the damage it received — and the
passengers.
7. Call the police
to the scene. Get a police report with the officer's
name, even for minor damage. If the police report
notes just a small dent or scratch, it'll be harder
for crooks to later claim serious injuries or car
damage.
8. Get involved if
you're a witness. Watch for the warning signs of a
scam, and help the honest victim with details.
9. Contact your
state insurance fraud bureau if a stranger tries to
steer you to an unknown body shop, doctor,
chiropractor or lawyer. Give officials the names,
addresses and phone numbers of these providers. Only
see medical and legal providers you know and trust,
or at least ones that are recommended by people you
trust. Never let yourself be suckered by a stranger
off the streets.
10. Keep careful
records of your medical treatments — dates,
treatments given, and diagnoses. Compare your
records against the statements you receive to make
sure the bill wasn't padded or treatments outright
fabricated.
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